New year and Resolutions

Come New Year, every year, year after year, some of us indulge in making resolutions as to how the next year is going to be! This is widely criticized as “ a one-time activity never revisited; or not taken seriously at all or being made only by those who cannot crisis manage”. Though they are not completely void of facts, still there are valid reasons for one to make some resolutions.

Primarily it enables one to review his shortcomings, consolidate the wish list and prioritize them into resolutions. On top of all these is the laudable act of one’s willingness & desire to go over the past and plan for the days ahead.  Only those who still aspire to bring their wayward activities into a constructive path, tend to indulge in such soul-searching jobs. It also shows that he does not want to give up on his past missed goals or shortcomings or failures and rephrase them into firmer resolutions for the next year. If one is so sincere, then he will also be ashamed that some of the resolutions are repeating year after year and that could egg him on to correct the same on top priority so that it is ensured that this does not find a place in the resolutions for next year. 

This activity of reviewing your acts or inactivity is expected of every individual and make periodical  course corrections in your life. But, as a matter of routine, say monthly, we will never do such a review as it becomes similar to the monthly review with our boss, which we loathe to attend. So, we need an occasion to make this and conveniently, we chose this as a new numerical year rolls over. Whether it is from Jan to Dec or from June-May, we will never really care as we need only a period of time. One has never heard of Deepavali resolutions or Pongal or Independence day or even birthday resolutions though these also come only once a year. May be following suite of the world we adopt this date, which is also universal. I am not going to become regionally parochial and advocate Tamil New Years Day resolutions . Let us not bother about the day so far as the outcome is beneficial to the progress of the individual, I am for it.

So, go head and in the remaining few days of the year, mull over the past resolutions, happily tick over those fulfilled – I am ever an optimist- and create newer ones for the year on the horizon. So far as the new resolution is “not to make any more resolutions” any resolution which makes you firmer and happy is welcome.

Just to help you in case you need, some popular new year resolutions that are also consistently not maintained are:

• Lose Weight and Get Fit
• Quit Smoking
• Learn Something New
• Eat Healthier and Diet
• Get Out of Debt and Save Money
• Spend More Time with Family
• Travel to New Places
• Be Less Stressed
• Volunteer
• Drink Less